


Puppy Kisses

by KinoYamazaki0325



Category: Free!
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-03-31
Updated: 2015-04-06
Packaged: 2018-03-20 14:06:56
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Underage
Chapters: 3
Words: 9,056
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3653202
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KinoYamazaki0325/pseuds/KinoYamazaki0325
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Rin Matsuoka. Typical young adult working a part time job in a pet store to pay the bills off. He doesn't realize, until after his 23rd birthday, that he feels very lonely. He has his Samezuka family to ease the loneliness, but he wants a completely different relationship in his life. When one of Rin's regular customers shows up with his group of friends, Rin keeps his eyes on one friend in particular.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Rin yawned as he took another bag of popcorn out from the little black microwave on his countertop. He let it sit and cool down on the cutting board that was just to the right of it, and walked back into the living room, examining the scene that was going on. Sousuke was stretched out on Rin's sofa, his head propped up by a pillow on one end, and his feet propped up on the other end. One of his arms was hanging over the side of the sofa, and the other was resting on his stomach, his fingers clenching a crushed can of soda.

His teal eyes watched the large flat screen TV, not blinking once, he asked Rin, "Is the popcorn ready yet?" Rin sighed and leaned against the entryway.

"You know, I like to sit on my sofa too, Sou." After a few seconds of silence, Rin bit his bottom lip in slight frustration and made eye contact with the crushed can. "Scared from the movie?"

"Is the popcorn ready yet?" Sousuke asked again, this time turning his head slightly over his shoulder to get a glimpse of Rin. "Come on, the movie is already halfway in."

"Alright, alright....scaredy cat." He muttered under his breath. Rin opened the white and blue bag of popcorn and dumped it into a bowl big enough for the both of them. He grabbed two more cans of soda from the fridge before he made his way into his occupied living room yet again.

Sousuke sat up and pulled his legs over from the end of the sofa. He placed the crushed can on the coffee table in front of him and waited for Rin to hand him a new one. When he felt the cool aluminum in his hands, he held out his other hand for the bowl of popcorn.

"Oi, what the hell is wrong with you? I'm leaving the bowl on the table. For us. US." Rin's forehead creased, and then he relaxed when Sousuke shrugged his shoulders and popped his can open.

"And I'm not a scaredy cat. I was just getting impatient." Before Rin could say anything, Sousuke tossed some popcorn in his mouth.

Rin leaned back against the sofa and smirked to himself. He knew this was how Sousuke was, every movie night. He wouldn't blink, or say many words. He'll sigh out loud, or speak to himself, explaining what could possibly happen during the next scene. But most of all, he couldn't sit through a movie without drinking or snacking on something, hence his demanding nature. However, Rin never grew tired of his best friend or their Wednesday movie nights. They would flip the TV onto a certain channel, with their snacks and drinks ready, and engulf themselves in whatever movie that was playing. It could've been the sappiest love story, or the corniest horror, Sousuke watched like a statue and Rin watched like a drama queen.

An hour passed and Rin and Sousuke were staring at the screen, watching the ending credits begin to roll. Sousuke slumped into the sofa and folded his arms across his broad chest.

"I knew she wouldn't die." He exhaled.

"Of course, her boyfriend never gave up on finding her in that damn madhouse." Rin crossed his legs and held his ankles. "Love never fails." He beamed, flashing his pointy, pearly white teeth.

"Rin, they're a bunch of stupid teenagers, two just happened to get lucky. What do they know about love anyway?" Sousuke shot him a glance before closing his eyes again.

"Love is love, no matter what, you big dope." When Rin received no response from his best friend, he began to toy with his crimson bracelet on his wrist.

_What do I know about love_? Rin thought to himself. He had never had a serious relationship with anyone. When he was just a child, he had a crush on someone, a boy who used to swim in the public pool almost every day. Knowing that liking someone of the same sex was looked down upon, Rin never spoke to the boy as he got older, and dropped that thought completely. When he was 19, he went on a few dates with a girl he met from his first job at a restaurant. She was high maintenance, and Rin was not having that. A few years later, he went on a date with one of Gou's friends. Then, he thought it would be interesting to see how it felt to kiss someone, her, for the first time. But Rin didn't feel the spark you're supposed to feel when you sincerely love someone, and want nothing more than to be with them forever. The spark you feel from that person just brushing up against you. Before they could lock lips with each other, Rin realized he didn't feel it and backed out. That's the first time he accepted the fact that he was indeed gay.

"What's wrong Rin?" Sousuke asked him. Rin could feel those droopy eyes staring at him. "You're playing with your bracelet again."

"Oh, uh..." Rin looked down at his fingers tangled into his lace, shark shaped bracelet. "I'm just thinking."

"About? You're troubled. I don't know what about, but you always play with your bracelet when you're this way."

"Sousuke, I'm getting old." He looked up to meet his best friend's gaze.

"Oh come on, age never bothered you like this."

"I mean, I want to have someone go into a madhouse for me."

"Rin. What the hell-"

"I want to have someone to spend the rest of my life with." He cut Sousuke off. "I want to feel that spark, that jolt of electricity when you know who the one is." They stared at each other for a few minutes. "You're seeing someone right?"

"Kisumi, yes, I am." Sousuke blushed from just mentioning his significant other's name. He adjusted himself on the sofa. "Your point?"

"Don't you feel different when you're with him? You don't see anything else but him, right? You just feel warm inside?"

"You're right Rin, I feel like I can completely be myself around him."

"And you've only been dating for what?"

"Three months." Sousuke sighed. "Rin, you can't force love or relationships, it just happens. And when it does, you'll know." Sousuke gave him a reassuring smile.

"Thanks best friend." Rin held his fist out to Sousuke for a fist bump. "Oh man, we have an early day tomorrow. Look at the time."

"Yep, it's time I should get going." Rin walked Sousuke to the door and waved goodbye. "See ya tomorrow!"

"See you!"

* * *

 

Rin tied his black and red apron around his hips before flipping the sign that read 'OPEN' on the entrance door to the pet shop. The chirping of the birds in the far left corner, the sound of hay being crushed under the small paws of hamsters and ferrets, and the meowing of the kittens in their pens confirmed that it was another normal day in the pet shop.

Ai was humming softly to himself as he shined the fish tanks that surrounded one wall. Sousuke came out of the back door with two large boxes in his arms, heading down the specialty food aisle. He grunted as he crouched down to open the box, and then began to stock the shelves. Momo and Sei had off for the week for a family reunion, so the shop was left in Rin, Sousuke, and Ai's hands.

"This is going to kill my knees!" he said aloud over the soft music playing. "I don't get paid enough for this." He mumbled.

"Come on Sousuke, you're the only one who can do-" Ai held his hands out, gesturing to the large boxes filled with dog and cat food. "-that!"

"Hey, what are you talking about?" Rin interrupted their conversation. "I can lift boxes and stock shelves."

"Ahhh Rin-senpai, I didn't mean-" Ai stuttered before Sousuke came to the rescue.

"With those arms? I don't think so." He smiled to himself as he lifted another bag onto the shelf. Rin growled at the two of them and walked back to the front of the store, observing the kittens that were playing with each other.

"Umm, Rin, remember it's your turn to change the hamster bedding." Ai's voice cracked as he tried to yell from across the shop.

Rin laughed and got to work. He took each hamster out of their cages and placed them in their exercise balls to run around in while he cleaned. As he gently placed the last hamster down onto the fresh bedding, he heard the soft DING of the bell that hung above the door, signaling someone was entering. Rin turned the corner to greet the customer who came in.

"Good morning. Oh Nagisa!" Rin's face lit up as he saw his regular customer wiping his feet on the welcome mat. He tugged lightly on the purple leash he was holding, a leash that was attached to a harnessed light brown and white ferret. Goobers was the name. Nagisa has had him for about a year now, and there isn't a day that passes without the mentioning of him.

"RIN-CHAN! Mornin'!" Nagisa was the most outgoing person Rin has ever met. He wore a hat over his blonde locks, a light blue t-shirt and shorts, with yellow ankle high socks and shoes. "I came to get my usual stuff." He flashed Rin a smile as he rocked back and forth on his heels.Rin came behind the counter, pulling out a pen and pad from his apron pockets and popping the cap open.

"Let's see, one 8 pound bag of food, a container of cleaning pads, deodorizing shampoo and-"

"WAIIII RIN-CHAN!" Rin almost jumped out of his skin at Nagisa's outburst.

"What's wrong?"

"You don't have to run around and get my things for me. My friends should be here any minute now, and I want to show them around."

"But...it's just a pet store." Rin raised his eyebrows as Nagisa glared at him.

"Yeah, the only pet store I take Goobers to." He gave a few sarcastic and loud coughs before he turned in excitement, staring at the windows watching three more people heading for the door. "Here they are!" Nagisa picked up Goobers and waved through the glass. The entrance bell faded as Nagisa giggled with excitement as his friends entered the shop.

Sousuke made his way to the front as he heard more voices and the shuffling of feet against the linoleum floors. He was wiping his hands with a towel and gave Rin a concerned look. Rin gave him a thumbs up, as if saying, _I got this_.

"Rin-chan, meet my friends! This is Mako-chan, Haru-chan, and Rei-chan!" he moved to the side so Rin could properly introduce himself.

"Hello! Nice to meet you, my name is Rin Matsuoka."

The taller one with the light brown hair smiled at Rin. "Nagisa has told us about you-"

"Like how you slave around getting the things I need for Goobers!" Nagisa interjected.

"S-slave around?" Instead of yelling or creasing his brows, Rin decided to hide his irritation through a smile.

"Nice to meet you, I'm Makoto Tachibana." The taller one continued.

"Please forgive Nagisa-kun for his ignorance." The guy with the glasses bowed in front of Rin before being pulled off by Nagisa. "Wait Nagisa-kun! Don't just pull me away!" their conversation faded off and Rin was left standing with Makoto.

"This is such a nice shop, ah the birds are back in the corner I see?" he lifted a finger and Rin nodded in approval.

"Hey Makoto," Rin placed his hands on his hips. "I thought there was one more person with you guys."

"Oh right, Haru-chan is probably looking at the fish." Makoto stopped in his tracks to look back at Rin. "Sorry about that Rin, he just loves anything and everything to do with water." He continued to head back to the bird showcase while Rin made his way towards the tanks.

* * *

 

Rin eased his way through the aisles, and Nagisa, to finally get to the aquatics area of the shop. He came to a sudden stop when he saw the missing member of Nagisa's group standing in front of one of the wide fish tanks the shop housed. This boy was staring so profoundly at the saltwater fish that gracefully swam through the reefs of surrounding coral. He had his hands placed on the glass, his slender fingers seeming to yearn to also be a part of that water, to swim side by side with the fish. His sapphire colored eyes were glistening as he kept gazing so intently into the tank. Rin didn't realize that he wasn't breathing at that moment, until he heard Nagisa in the distance shouting everyone's name. He also wasn't aware of how loud his exhale was, until he opened his eyes to see the boy, Haru, peering at him from the corner of his eyes.

"Haru, right?" Rin didn't receive a verbal response from him. Haru thought that turning towards Rin, facing him, would be enough to satisfy and answer his question. "I'm Rin Matsuoka, one of Nagisa's friends." Somehow, Rin didn't feel right. Unfortunately, he wished Haru didn't turn around to face him. Now he could see Haru's full face, the raven black bangs that hung right above his pair of eyes that seemed bluer than the ocean, his alabaster skin, and those slightly pink lips.

"Haruka Nanase." He finally spoke.

 


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rin can't stop thinking about this blue-eyed stranger, to the point where he fails miserably while doing his job. And Nagisa just keeps making it worse.

"Haruka Nanase." He finally spoke.

Rin almost let a laugh escape from his lips at how monotonous Haru's voice was. He didn't expect that voice to come out from someone who looked like a fish out of water. They were both staring at each other now, as if daring the other to say something else first. Rin didn't quite register that his mouth was agape until he noticed that a slight blush was spreading across Haru's cheeks, causing the blue-eyed boy to look back into the fish tanks.

"I'm Nagisa's friend." Rin blurted out, flustered as he rubbed the back of his neck. Without moving an inch, Haru actually replied back.

"You said that already." Rin's mouth opened instinctively at Haru's sassy remark.

"Nice to meet you?" he folded his arms, hoping that Haru would maybe acknowledge the fact that he was there. Instead, Haru turned sideways and nodded his head. Rin sighed and began walking back to the front. "Well, see you around I guess."

Nagisa was holding up ferret clothing in front of Goobers, cooing and petting the top of his little head. Makoto and Rei were watching the kittens tumble and meow in play.

"How about this one?" he held up a red jacket and then threw it on a shelf when he saw Rin heading their way. "Okay Rin-chan, I'm ready! Rei-chaaaan!" Rei took his attention away from the kittens and sighed. He dumped all of the items he was holding in his arms and onto the counter.

"Nagisa-kun, why does it seem like you picked up more than you usually get?" Rei's mouth twisted at one corner as he watched Nagisa skip to his side.

"There's just a few extra things." He waved his hand, brushing away the thought. A few things as in: a light green ferret tunnel, a new fluffy bed, a yellow leash and harness, a chew toy, a bag of treats, and a polka-dot jacket. In addition to the essential things he needed in the first place.

Rin laughed to himself and rang up the items. He noticed how Rei, and then Makoto's eyebrows raised as the total increased and increased on the pop-up display.

"Something wrong?" Rin raised one of his own brows.

"This-what? I can't-how?" Rei stuttered and placed his fingers on his temple. "How are you paying for all of this?" Rei turned abruptly to face a bouncy Nagisa.

"Let's see..." Nagisa placed Goobers down on the floor and began patting his shorts down for his wallet. "Umm..." he bit his lip and patted down the back of his pants to still find nothing. "Oh, I left my wallet at home." Nagisa's expression didn't alter one bit. He still smiled brightly, the rosy hue still on his cheeks. Rei grunted and placed both hands on the countertop.

"Then how did you expect to pay for all of this?" a vein was appearing on the side of his temple.

"Ahhh, well since I can't pay, you can Rei-chan!" completely disregarding Rei's question, Nagisa reached down into Rei's pants and pulled his wallet out. "Bingo!"

As they continued to bicker back and forth, Rin started thinking about Haru. He was wondering why he wasn't with his other three friends who looked as if they were performing a circus act. Makoto, who was in the middle of everything, trying to calm down a beat red Rei, and a gloating Nagisa. Maybe he didn't like to be in the middle of confrontations. With the way he presented himself, it looked like he didn't like to be in the middle of anything that didn't appeal to him. But Rin couldn't stop thinking about those eyes of his. Haru's eyes were hypnotic, as if you were being sucked into a never-ending ocean.

"Haru!" Makoto exclaimed, breaking away from the argument. "Did you see the fish?"

"Yeah I did." Haru stopped a few feet away from Rei and Nagisa, still going on about wallets and ferrets. "Why are they arguing?"

Rin leaned up against the counter and pretended as if he wasn't listening only to Haru's voice. Yes, he spoke in one tone, but there was something calming about it. He closed his eyes, enjoying that sweet sound.

Rin. Rin. Rin.

"Rin."

Rin opened his eyes to see Haru standing right in front of the counter, his eyebrows vaguely scrunched together. He shot up instantly, knocking down the container of cleaning pads.

"Sorry, you were calling me?" Haru bent down to retrieve the container and placed it down on the counter calmly. Rei and Nagisa stopped arguing, but you could feel the tension in the air regardless of Nagisa's unchanging visage. Makoto stood in between the two, his eyes darting back and forth, waiting to stop them from going at it again.

"We're ready to checkout." Haru stepped back and let Rei come up to the register. He looked at the container of cleaning pads, and then back up to Rin, watching him.

"Alright, so this is the total, cash or credit?"

"Cash." Rei muttered.

"It's okay Rei-chan, I'll reward you later." Nagisa snickered and made his way outside the shop. Rei was turning red, from the tips of his fingers that were rummaging through his wallet for bills, to the very top of his head. Rin began to the bag items and was trying to register in his mind just what Nagisa had said.

_Did I just hear that?_

Confirming that he wasn't completely deaf, he looked back up to Rei to still see his skin boiling. He also caught Haru staring at him. Except he wasn't staring at him, he was staring at his hands. Rin grinded his teeth together when he felt his cheeks grow warm.

_Holy hell, please don't let him see I'm blushing._

Rin looked down at his hands, trying to focus on checking these crazy group of people out. He just had to follow a few simple steps. Scan the item, put it in the bag, tie the bag, take the money, give them the change, give them the bag, and say goodbye. That was all there was to it. But of course, things never went according to plan. The last item that sat on the counter, the dreadful container of cleaning pads, went plummeting down to the floor again. Rin's hands were in mid-air, his fingers still trying to reach for the container, that was already rolling on the ground towards Haru's shoes.

"Shit!" he growled.

Haru bent down once more to retrieve the container, and this time, he placed it in the bag himself. "It's fine." He stated as he tied the white plastic bag of pet supplies.

Rin knew it was his turn to flush red. He was angry at himself for dropping the same item twice and not doing the job he's been doing for more than three years properly. And to top it off, he was being watched and totally bewitched by a complete stranger.

He counted Rei's change and handed it to him, who was thanking him repetitively for his patience and kindness. He turned around to head out the door, and that's when Rin decided to look at Haru for the last time. He was staring at Rin again, but this time, he was looking directly at him. Rin's face grew hotter and he abruptly turned his head away from the group.

"Have a good day." Rin said as they followed each other out the door. Haru was the first to go, then Rei who thanked him one more time, and Makoto, who waved back.

Rin watched them through the large glass windows as they interacted with each other. It reminded him of how he, Sousuke, Ai, Momo, and Sei interacted when they were all together having fun. They nodded their heads and began walking off down the street, probably doing more fun things friends usually do when they go out. Rin squinted his eyes so he could catch one last glimpse of Haru...before he finally disappeared. Sousuke came up and slapped Rin on the back of the head, causing Rin to shove him back into the counter.

"Did they leave for good? Damn, they were loud." He stood in front of the windows looking back and forth. A woman and her child walked in through the door and the dynamic duo greeted them with nothing but smiles and an overview of the shop. When they were out of sight, Rin finally dropped his head onto the register.

Haruka Nanase was the most beautiful creature he had ever saw in his life.

"I'm in some serious shit."

* * *

 

"Language Rin. What happened?" Sousuke stood in front of his best friend, who still didn't lift his head from embarrassment.

"That kid with the blue eyes, he was a total smartass." Rin lifted his head and sighed. "He did my job for me." He stuck his tongue out in disgust.

"Rin, what did you do wrong?"

"I dropped the container twice, I told him the same thing twice, I stared at him, like a million times today-" Rin bit is tongue and watched how Sousuke smirked.

"Rin, are you _smitten_ by this stranger?" he asked in a playful tone, raising his eyebrows frivolously. 

"No you big idiot! He just had nice eyes, that's all." Rin tried to get the image of Haru out of his head. "He didn't even say much to me. Besides, I won't see him again." Rin was trying to persuade himself rather than Sousuke at this point. He wouldn't see him again. He doesn't know him, he only met him through Nagisa. He would only see Nagisa, and maybe Rei. It's not like Haru has a pet...or does he? "Who knows." Rin blurted out. Rin realized he said what was on his mind to Sousuke, and they both stood in awkward silence.

"I think you need a break Matsuoka. Go take a twenty." Sousuke shuffled Rin out from behind the counter. "Oh, and Kisumi is coming by to pick me up. We're going to dinner." His cheeks turned pink again. "So you're closing up with Ai."

"Yeah yeah, lovebirds."

It was getting late and the shop was pretty empty, despite the few last minute shoppers, it was nice and quiet. Sousuke was texting away on his phone at the front, Ai was sweeping the floors and Rin was counting the change drawer. The bell rung and the door shut abruptly.

"It's chilly out there. Oh, hey you guys!" Kisumi brushed his pink locks back into place and rubbed his hands together, giving them all a bright smile. He kept his smile and walked over to Sou, his purple gaze meeting his. "Hey you." He stood on his tiptoes and gave his boyfriend a quick peck on the lips. Sousuke cleared his throat and looked away in embarrassment.

"It's about time you got here, I'm starving." He straightened up and waved back. "See you guys tomorrow then." Kisumi slid his arms around Sousuke's as they walked out.

"Bye!"

They looked so happy together. Sousuke never admitted it around others, but he was indeed in love with Kisumi. Kisumi really brought out Sou's loving and caring side, not to mention he also made him blush from just the sound of his name rolling off his tongue. They would do anything for each other. And Rin was a tad bit jealous that Sousuke was at that stage in his life.

"Alright Ai, help me check out these customers so we can get the hell outta here!"

* * *

 

It was especially busy the next day at the shop. It was Friday, so families, people between their lunch breaks, and kids getting out of school ran in the shop to get the items they needed to avoid doing it over the weekend. Sousuke and Ai were on the registers, bagging and checking out each customer as swiftly, but calmly as they could. Rin stayed on the floor, maintaining the cleanliness of the shop and assisting customers if they needed help. He was organizing the dog treats on one shelf when a little boy asked him if he could get a fish from one of the tanks. They walked over to the aquatics zone and the boy pointed to an angelfish.

"This one, this one! He can go in my tank where his brothers and sisters are!" the little boy jumped and kept staring at the fish that was soon to be his. Rin laughed at the boy's excitement as he filled a small bag with the tank water and stood on a stepladder to scoop the fish out.

"Here ya go," Rin grinned as he stepped out and kneeled in front of the boy. "Take care of this one, he's a beauty." The triangular fish was a powder blue color, the color darkening slightly on the tips of its fins. It reminded him of yesterday, how Haruka had watched these beings swim in their cages, as if hoping one day they would be free.

"Thanks mister!" the boy held the bag in his small, but gentle hands and walked cautiously back over to his parents.

"Rin-chan." He heard a familiar voice from over his shoulder and he stood back up to see who it was. Nagisa.

"Afternoon Rin-chan! I came by again to ask you something." He walked with Rin back to the dog treat shelf and continued. "Makoto's boyfriend is coming home tomorrow, and I, well we, were wondering if you wanted to come over to his house to hang out." Rin stared at Nagisa dumbfounded and had a hard time trying to come up with a way to say no.

"Um, Nagisa, wouldn't that be kind of awkward if I went? I mean I don't even know you all-"

"But you know Makoto's boyfriend."

Rin's mind went completely blank. He knows Makoto's boyfriend? He's never even seen Makoto until yesterday, who does he know that could possibly be his boyfriend? Rin's mouth twisted at one end. Clueless, he scratched his head.

"Rin-chan, your boss!" Nagisa actually looked upset as he gripped the strap on his shoulder bag.

Seijuro Mikoshiba.

Sei....and Makoto.

"Sei?!" Rin tried to keep his voice down, but he couldn't believe that his boss, one of his best friends, was seeing someone, a guy in particular. On top of that, he told the group that he would be back at work on Monday. Tomorrow will be Saturday and they're already having a get-together. Sei didn't even have the decency to tell them that he's been seeing him, for how long, nobody knows. Well, Rin decided that was going to change. He smirked to himself. "Sure Nagisa, I'll come over. Can I bring a few of my friends?" Nagisa's face brightened up at Rin's request.

"YES!!! Here, give me you number," he pulled out his pink phone, just what's to be expected of the little guy, and handed it to him. "I'll text you the address and when to come." Rin handed the phone back to Nagisa. "OOOH this is so exciting!" A lady cleared her throat behind the both of them, signaling she wanted help from the associate.

"Alrighty Nagisa, see you then." Rin gave him a small wave and watched him skip out the doors, more than happy with his decision.

He turned his attention to the lady, who was holding up two bottles of shampoo. She began talking, but Rin wasn't really listening to what she asking. He was thinking about what he just agreed to do. On the bright side, he was going to bust Sei's ass right in front of his boyfriend. On the other hand, he should bust Makoto's ass too for not saying anything the first time they met. He knows he'll probably hear it from Sousuke when he explains the story, but he knows he'll eventually agree to go with Kisumi.

He'll be in a house of friends, more like acquaintances, for hours and hours.

A house of lovey dovey couples.

And Haruka Nanase.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What do you guys think so far?   
> Isn't Nagisa such a little shit?
> 
> Please tell me what you think, or drop a message on Twitter @Art__Kino.
> 
> Arigatou!


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The day of the hangout is finally here.

Instead of taking his usual bus ride home, Rin decided that he would walk. He had so many things to think about, and so many scenarios to make up that could possibly go wrong or right. He zipped his jacket up and stuffed his hands in his pockets, hoping that that would keep them warm in the cool night air. He sighed to himself, trying to calm his nerves.

_It's Friday night, enjoy it, he thought. You're not going to hang out until tomorrow evening._

"Why am I even nervous?" he blurted out. He was worried that maybe he would say the wrong thing to the wrong person, at the wrong time. But that wasn't like Rin to do that. Something else was settling in the back of his mind. More like someone. Nanase. He made such a strong impression on Rin. He was undeniably an exquisite person, and somehow his silence added to it. It fascinated Rin, and as he stepped off of the curb to cross the street, a spark of confidence ignited within him."I'll make him talk." Rin smirked to himself.

He walked up a few flight of stairs and entered his apartment, flinging his bag on the dining table and rushing to his room. He slung his closet doors open and searched through the clothes that hung delicately on each hanger. He didn't know what to wear. A sweater wouldn't be a good idea, he might start sweating from anxiety. His muscular arms would surely be on display if he wore a t-shirt, but he'd probably be uncomfortable showing so much skin in a house full of strangers. He needed to stop using the word strangers. He's getting to know his acquaintances. He slipped his phone from his back pocket and dialed Sousuke's number.

"Hello?" he finally picked up on the third ring. From the sound of his voice, knowing him for most of his life, he could tell Sousuke was aggravated.

"Hey Sou, did I call at a bad time?" He heard him sigh through the other line, then it sounded as if he shifted himself into an upper position.

"No, of course not. What do you-" he heard Kisumi in the background as well, whining playfully and nagging him about who was on the phone. "What do you need?"

"Ugh, well it's a long story. Got time?" Then he heard the movement of sheets. Kisumi said faintly in the background,

"Look! It's still standing tall babe." Then he heard the creak of bedsprings as pressure was bestowed upon it.

"OI!! Keep it down! Uhhh," Sousuke pulled the phone away, trying to hide the moan that just escaped from his lips. Rin realized that he just called in the middle of....that.

"Hey, Sousuke! Hey!" after a few seconds of silence and attempts to compose himself on the other end of the phone, Sousuke answered him. "Come over to my place tomorrow around two. And bring Kisu with you! You heard me?" "Y-yeaah, I heard," his breathed hitched and he continued.

"We'll be coming soon. Wait, I mean-"

Rin pressed the 'end call' button before Sousuke could finish and tossed the phone on his bed. Boy, would he tease him about that tomorrow. He smirked and shut his closet doors, heading to the bathroom for his nightly shower. Hopefully the fumes will make him forget the conversation he just had.

* * *

 

Rin didn't bother to turn his alarm off when it repetitively vibrated and kept playing one of his favorite American songs. He laid straight in bed, his arms folded above his head, fingers playing with the loose ends of his pillow. He let the light from the sun brighten and warm his room, signaling it was the start of a new, and would be, interesting day. His heart raced every time he thought about Haru. But he calmed down when he remembered that his friends would also be there to back him up if anything were to happen.

He turned on his side to shut the alarm off, and was surprised to see a text notification from an unknown number so early in the morning. He knew it would be Nagisa, because the text message contained an elaborate greeting and introduction, as well as an address and time to be at the group party.

**Nagisa** :

_HIYA RIN-CHAN!!!!! (((o(*ﾟ▽ﾟ*)o)))_

_U know it's me Nagisa? Remember u said u were coming tonight?_

_Well here's the address!_

_And come around 6:30!!_

_SEE U THERE_ °˖ ✧◝(○ ヮ ○)◜✧˖ °

Sousuke and Kisumi arrived at Rin's place right on time, hand in hand. They made their way into Rin's room, Kisumi taking a seat at his desk, and Sou plopping down on the corner of the bed.

"Alright, spill it." His teal eyes seemed to grow darker and sharper, waiting for Rin to explain the situation. He is not going to like this.

"Nothing big. Nagisa asked me to come over to his friend's place for a, a welcome home party for his boyfriend. And I said I'd bring you guys."

Rin was grinding his teeth together when the two lovebirds had nothing to say at all. Kisumi still rocked back and forth in his chair, watching Sousuke, who was still staring at Rin, carefully. Sousuke folded his hands together, as if in prayer, and shut his eyes.

"Rin. You dumbass." Kisumi started laughing and jumped off the chair to join Rin, hunting in his closet for something to wear.

"Awww my little strawberry, don't be so hard on him. Rin, of course we'll go! We haven't seen the light of day since-"

"Kisumi, quiet!" Sousuke barked. "Our sex life is our business." Rin turned around and jabbed Sousuke in the shoulder.

"Apparently not, you big dope! If it's your business, then why did you answer your phone in the middle of it?" Sousuke was about to speak but Rin continued. He had him this time. "You owe me, for making my ear suffer through that." Rin held his ear dramatically and fell on one knee. "If I go deaf, then I don't know what I'll do." His bottom lip protruded, and he smiled at Sousuke.

"Fine. But I wasn't going to say no anyway." He rubbed the back of his neck. "And what you heard on the phone last night stays between us. Got it?"

"Deal. Now, help me find something nice to wear."

"Is that kid with the nice eyes going to be there? Is that why you're in dire need of help?" Sousuke sighed as he made his way across the room. "Let Kisu handle this one. I'm going to grab a soda."

"Alrighty then, let's see what we got here." Kisumi chuckled.

* * *

 

Rin took a deep breath before ringing the doorbell to Makoto's house. He was praying that this night would go smoothly. Sousuke and Kisumi were right behind him, shoulder to shoulder trying to stay warm before the cool air would numb their faces. Before they had ventured out to find the house, they went to the store to get some food to bring over. It was only right to bring something over to someone's house when you went. Rin rang the doorbell once more, and right in the middle of ringing it, the door opened widely.

"RIN-CHAN!" Nagisa jumped onto Rin, embracing him and bouncing up and down with him in his trapped arms. Despite his size, Nagisa was a very strong person. "Are these your friends?" he looked past Rin's elbows and smiled at the couple that was watching them.

"Hellooooo, my name is Kisumi Shigino. And this is my Sousuke." He pulled Sousuke closer to Nagisa so he could properly introduce himself.

"Sousuke Yamazaki. I've seen you in the pet shop a few times." Sousuke's eyes did all the smiling for him. He handed Nagisa a bag full of chips and dip. "Thanks for having us over."

"Come in, come in!!" he moved to the side so they could shuffle in the warmth of Makoto's home. It was nice and bright, the lamps setting off the mood for the evening. To the left of the doorway was the kitchen, and from where Rin was standing, he could see the counters were piled high with unopened snack food and empty bowls. To the right of them was the living room. He can tell from the sounds that were heard through the walls that someone was playing video games. He walked towards the sounds to take in the scene.

Makoto and Rei were each holding a Playstation controller, their knuckles white from the grip they had on it. From the looks on their faces, each of them biting their bottom lips and sweat glistening on their foreheads to their shirtsleeves rolled up to their elbows, it looked as if their lives depended on winning the game. Sei was on the edge of the couch, giving encouraging words to Makoto and Haru was sitting at the far end of the couch. His legs folded beneath him, his eyes focused on the screen, his breathing steady. It almost looked like he wasn't breathing from how still he was. Rin cleared his throat, and now the attention was all on him. Makoto paused the game which triggered Rei to curse and fall on his back.

"How can you just pause it right at the end of the fight?!" his arms were splayed on his side, the controller flipped over. "I was just about to come back and destroy you." He sobbed.

"Matsuoka? What the hell are you doing here?" Sei stood up and held his fist out, an apologetic look on his face.

"I should be asking you that." He bumped fists with his other best friend. "We have a lot to talk about." Sousuke came up in between the two and welcomed Sei back home. He wasn't as surprised as Rin thought he would be when he saw his boss. Makoto came up behind Sei to welcome his guests.

"Hey guys, glad you made it. Nice to meet you." He nodded at Sousuke. "Makoto Tachibana. I'm-"

"Sei's boyfriend right?" Rin didn't realize he uttered that too soon, and Makoto's olive skin turned scarlet.

"Ahh, actually he's not my boyfriend, yet. But that'll change soon." Sei saved Makoto and began whispering something in his ear. Makoto cleared his throat and blushed even more, the tips of his ears looked as if they would shoot off like fireworks.

"Excuse me." Makoto quickly rushed out of the room, Nagisa and Kisumi giving him a concerned look as he hurried out. Haru watched his best friend escape from the crowd. His eyebrows narrowed and he watched Sei trap Rin in a headlock.

"No! Where are you going Makoto-senpai?" Rei groaned. "Fine, automatic win for me." He pushed his glasses up on the bridge of his nose, one eyebrow raised as he confirmed his own victory.

"Is this Mortal Kombat? I love this game." Rin exhaled as Sei went to find his soon to be boyfriend. "Who's playing next?"

"I'll play." They were all surprised to see Haru slide off the couch and take a spot in front of the screen. He scooped the controller up and gave Rin a death glare. "I won't go easy on you."

"Ohhh-hooo! Be careful Rin-chan, Haru is a master at video games." Nagisa pranced over to sit in between Rei's legs to watch. "Are you sure you wanna go against him?"

"Pffft, of course I'm sure! I've been playing this game for years." Rin sat down next to Haru and winked at him. "Don't cry if you lose, Haru." Rin pretended that he didn't notice Haru's eyes widen as he said his name. In truth, Haru was quite surprised Rin even remembered his name.

"You won't beat me, Rin."

Rin's heart raced for just a few seconds when Haru said his name. It reminded him of when he called his name more than three times at the upsetting pet shop incident. Haru navigated back to the main menu and selected the option of 'kombat'. He watched the screen with a serious face as he chose the time limit and place where they would be fighting. He didn't waste any time selecting his character on the character selection screen. The deep menacing voice that everyone remembered from their chilhood was heard as it spoke, " _Sub-Zero_."

"Sub-Zero? You're just giving me the win now." Rin flashed his pointy teeth as he chose his character.

" _Scorpion_." the generated voice spoke.

"How cliché." Haru murmured.

"You should be one to talk, frozen freak." Rin hunched forward in concentration, his left thumb on the analog stick and his right thumb ready to press the button that initiated an attack move.

_FIGHT!_

Once the bright red word disappeared from the screen, Rin jerked his thumb on the analog stick severely to the right, causing Scorpion to run straight towards his opponent. Not to his surprise, Haru did the same thing, but instead of getting ready to attack, he pressed the triangle button, causing Sub-Zero to jump right over Scorpion. A loud snap could be heard from Haru's side, his thumb jerked the analog stick back again to the right, Sub-Zero turning around to face Scorpion, who was attacking nothing but air.

"Shit! Turn around, turn around!!" Rin yelled at the screen as his character was throwing combo attacks in the air."Shit!" he yelled again when Sub-Zero began hitting his character repeatedly from the back. "Shit, enough already! I'm not even facing you!" Rin started pressing buttons at the same time, hoping his character would recover from the attacks. When he pressed the R2 button, his character blocked another attack, and Sub-Zero shifted back from the force of the block.

"Stop cursing, that won't help." There was slight irritation in Haru's voice, most likely from his character's combo coming to an abrupt halt. Haru moved his analog stick to the left, Sub-Zero flipping backwards and lightly jumping in place, ready to attack. Rin growled as his thumb swiveled on top of his analog stick, causing Scorpion to rise and actually face his opponent.

"That won't happen again." He spoke through his teeth, pressing the square button, and then the circle button. Scorpion's spear went hurling through the air towards Sub-Zero. "Gotcha! Wait, what?!"

Sub-Zero ran straight towards the weapon that was coming right at him, and jumped over it right as it was about to pierce him. He then started to attack Scorpion as he was landing, air combo after air combo, depleting his opponent's health meter.

"Are you shitting me? Look how much my health bar went down!" Rin sat up on his knees, trying to focus on hitting his opponent at least once.

"I'm not finished." Haru was still sitting with his legs folded underneath him, calm as ever as he was annihilating Rin in the game. He moved his analog stick to the right, and at the same time he pressed the circle button, triggering Sub-Zero to extend his arm and release an icy blast that shot in the direction of Scorpion, freezing him in place. Haru then pressed the x button, Sub-Zero withdrew his arctic sword and ran towards the frozen Scorpion.

"No!!" Rin shouted, his mouth still open as Sub-Zero swung his sword for the last time, slashing him across the chest. The last of Scorpion's health meter completely vanished.

"I'm not finished." Haru pressed a sequence of buttons on the controller. "Fatality." Haru sighed as he placed the controller down in front of him. They both looked away from the screen and at each other.

"What options did you actually set the match to Haru, huh? Nobody wins in Mortal Kombat that easily!" Rin heard the words of _FATALITY_ and _FLAWLESS VICTORY_ escape from the television.

"I do. I did." Haru looked back at the audience that was watching. Rei and Nagisa were sitting together, their eyes wide and their mouths slightly open. Sousuke burst out laughing and Kisumi was covering his mouth, trying to stifle a giggle. Arms folded together, Sei was smirking next to Makoto, who looked completely baffled that someone like Rin, who had the possibility of winning against Haru, lost.

"Whatever, it was one damn match. He just got lucky." Rin turned away from them, accepting his defeat and looking back at Haru. "You probably cheated."

"I don't cheat, I'm just that good."

"Way to go Haru-chan! I knew you'd win!"

"Oi!" Rin threw a pillow at Nagisa, who ducked swiftly under his boyfriend. The pillow went right into Rei's face. "Ahhh, sorry Rei." He glared at Nagisa who was now kissing the underneath of Rei's chin.

"That match ended so quickly, I can actually go and grab something to eat. I thought we'd be here all night, but...." Sousuke looked at Rin and laughed, clutching his sides.

"Shut up, jerk. Let's see you go against this," Rin looked at Haru now, who was getting up to go into the kitchen. "this video game freak." Rin's mouth slanted and he jumped up to head into the kitchen as well. "You guys want anything?"

"You already know what I want." Sousuke wiped a tear, his laughs fading away each minute.

"I'll just pick at whatever you bring out." Kisumi brought his legs up over the couch so they could rest on Sousuke's.

"Same here, just help Haru-chan bring the food out." Nagisa bellowed and rolled over to the controllers that lay on the floor. "Who wants to play against me?"

"I'll play." Makoto volunteered and he and Sei moved from the entrance of the living room to join Nagisa. Rin could hear potato chip bags opening on his way to the kitchen. When he turned to enter, he saw Haru dumping one bag into a large blue bowl.

"Man, I didn't realize how hungry I was until I the game finished. Are those barbeque flavored?" he peered over the counter to look into the bowl.

"Shouldn't have taken you that long." Haru spoke as he grabbed another empty bowl. "Can you hand me a bag?" Rin was fuming as he grabbed a bag of plain chips for the victor.

"Don't be a smartass. Who are you, Sousuke?" he sighed fiercely and dug through another plastic bag, pulling out jars and containers of dip. "Hold on, tuna?" Haru stopped emptying the bag of chips and maneuvered his way around the kitchen to Rin.

"I told him Mackerel..." he mumbled to himself. He looked up to meet Rin's gazing eyes. "What?"

"Mackerel?"

"What about it?" Rin's face completely blanked from Haru's snide remark.

"I don't think you're supposed to eat Mackerel when you hang out with people." He was leaning his hips on the counter, watching Haru.

"I eat it every day, with every meal. What's the harm in eating it as a snack?" Haru picked up the two bowls he just filled and tweaked his head towards the fridge. "Can you bring the drinks out since you're just standing there?"

Rin couldn't believe what Haru was saying to him. He never thought that he would be speaking so much, especially to him. He opened the fridge, clutching the packs of soda and bringing them back out to the living room.

"Snack time!" Nagisa howled as he dragged himself across the floor to the table. "Hey, where are the wings?" he pouted.

"Wings?" Rin lifted his brows.

"Yep, they're frozen. All you have to do is cook them. It's okay, I can do it." Rei insisted, but Rin quickly turned him down.

"No no, I like cooking. Wings it is." As Rin turned, he felt a presence behind him as well. When he walked back into the kitchen, he turned to see Haru right behind him, grabbing another empty bowl. "Following me now, eh? You feel bad for kicking my ass?" he smirked to himself as he spotted the wings in the freezer.

"No. Just looks like we'll need more food."

Rin shifted himself around Haru. "Ahhh, oil...and a pan. Oil and a pan." He was mumbling to himself, turning in all directions. "Which cabinet would that be in....?"

"Here." Haru was holding a bottle of oil and a large frying pan in his pale hands. He placed it on the stove, which he quickly turned on, pouring the oil in the pan. He was quick with his hands.

"You know, I could've found it myself."

There was so much tension in the air, so much tension between the two. It was like they were competing with each other from day one. Since the incident in the pet shop, Haru proved he could bag an item faster and better than Rin could. Just now, Haru whipped his ass in less than five minutes in a video game, and now he was trying to prove that he was a better cook than Rin.

"Stop staring, I do this for a living." Haru spoke calmly, but louder than his usual tone since the oil started to sizzle and overtake the silence. He held a pair of silver tongs and gently placed the frozen chicken in the pan, watching as they were submerged in the greasy substance.

"You cook?" now Rin was interested. Haru nodded and flipped the wings, his eyes never leaving the pan. "Hmm, that's weird. You don't look like the type to stay indoors and cook all day." At those words, Haru looked up at Rin, who was smiling warmly at him. Rin kept his smile because there was something in Haru's expression that seemed painful. "Am I right?" before Haru could speak, Nagisa poked his head from behind the wall.

"Haru-chan, Rin-chan! Smells yummy!" he swerved into the kitchen, holding a few DVD's. "Okay, we're deciding on what movie to watch. Most of us want to watch The Avengers, but Kisumi wants to watch 50 First Dates. Rei-chan said he'll watch whatever so I'm not counting him in anymore."

"Just put on The Avengers. We'll be right there." Rin looked back over to Haru, his eyes sparkling again as he took out the last batch of wings from the pan. "This isn't going to do. We need a few pizzas to go with this." "Rin." Haru was too slow to stop Rin from dialing the pizzeria number that was advertised on the flyer that was posted to the fridge. "Hi. Can I get one large cheese pizza, another large pie, half pepperoni and half sausage, a large supreme pizza, and-"

"Hawaiian pizza."

"and a Hawaiian pizza. Delivery, the address is..."

Haru watched Rin as he communicated through his cell phone, and took the chance to really see who Rin Matsuoka was. He watched all of his body movements, the way he shifted his hips while he paced back and forth, how animated his eyes were as he spoke, how his pointy teeth shined when he smiled, and how his silky red hair moved gracefully along with him. He snapped out of his gaze when the red wisps of hair came into view, flowing past him and back into the living room.

"Hey guys, I ordered pizza. In the meantime, let's play another game to kill time." Rin didn't bother going into the kitchen again. With how deep Haru was staring at him, he thought he would burn a hole right through him.

"Not Mortal Kombat, anything but that." Sousuke held back a laugh. "I think Hayato can put up a better fight." Kisumi shot Sousuke a look of death and he quickly stopped with his antics. Haru came back to join the gang and took his place in front of the TV screen, next to Rei and far across from where Rin was.

"What's going on?" he asked.

"Deciding on what game to play while we wait for the pizza." Rei leaned in. "What do you suggest Haruka-senpai?" he whispered. Out loud Haru spoke,

"Race. Whoever wins get mackerel."

"No Haru-chan, you can't run so you won't win." Nagisa stuck his tongue out playfully. Disappointed that he won't have his mackerel until the next morning, Haru just regained his straight face and listened to more suggestions.

"Something more interesting." Makoto leaned back into Sei. "Something where we can move around. Karaoke?"

"Nah, save the singing for the bedroom." Nagisa's comment made Rin and Sei choke on their drinks. Rei hid his face in his hands and Makoto reprimanded the blonde boy like he was his mother. Nagisa hopped up onto his feet and made his way to the TV stand. He opened the two smalls doors at the bottom and chuckled. "There it is, right where I left you!" he pulled out a large plastic mat and began unfolding it. "Twister!"

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Does this chapter seem longer than the others? 
> 
> Don't worry, the exciting game of Twister is happening in the next chapter. Who will get twisted with who?
> 
> Please tell me what you think, or drop a message on Twitter @Art__Kino.
> 
> Arigatou!

**Author's Note:**

> Okay, hello everyone!
> 
> I decided I'm going to write an actual RinHaru fic, this time with chapters, and a story. Please tell me what you think, or drop a message on Twitter @Art__Kino.
> 
> Arigatou!


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